FM: U.S reduces assistance to Georgia due to its budget problems

23 February 2013, 12:44 (GMT+04:00)

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Georgia, Tbilisi, Feb. 23 / Trend N. Kirtzkhalia /

The reason of reducing U.S. assistance to Georgia is the U.S. budget problems, Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said today.

She said that it was announced in April last year.
"There is nothing new," she said. "Why did the media notice this now? This is an old project. The U.S. State Department issued a three-year project and the decrease was in this three-year plan."

She said that despite this, Georgia is still a country receiving the biggest assistance.

She added that the U.S. reduced funding of certain spheres due to the problems with its own budget. Georgia knew about this a year ago.

According to the information, the U.S. reduces the aid to the South Caucasus countries by 24 percent. According to the U.S draft budget, Georgia maintains the status of the country receiving the biggest assistance in the region.

But the amount of assistance will drop from $85 to $68.7 million.

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